


Family Ties

by Sweetsyren



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Humor, Implied Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-14
Updated: 2011-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-24 10:50:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/262645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetsyren/pseuds/Sweetsyren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam and Sam are back from hell. Gabriel's back from the dead. Dean and Castiel are still dancing around eachother but, still, there's no apocalypse to worry about. Best way to celebrate? BBQ! Sam/Gabe Dean/Cas in here. Told from Adams perspective</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Ties

Family Ties

Adam couldn't resist. He leaned over the arm of his ratty lawn chair and stage whispered to his brother.

"Sam…? Wasn't there supposed to be some kinda barbeque happening out here tonight?"

Sam grinned wide and bright, playing along happily. "You know Adam, I believe you're correct. Of course it's generally accepted that fire is required for the cooking of meat products."

"So do you think that's likely to happen before we starve?" Adam said haughtily trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"I don't know, Adam," shaking his head sadly, Sam sighed. "I just…I don't know."

From his position next to the small fire-pit Dean scowled up at them.

Both the younger Winchesters smiled broadly back at him and raised their beers.

"You two're just gonna sit there all night not helping aren't you?" Dean said.

Sam snorted and dropped his voice to mimic his elder brother. "'Don't worry about it boys, I got this. Making fire…it's _primal._ '"

Standing up and pulling himself into a mocking imitation of Dean's posture, Adam gestured wildly. "'Just wait. I've done this a million times. It's gonna be awesome.'" He laughed and jinked to the left to avoid the substantial piece of timber Dean aimed at him.

Still chuckling, Adam strolled around to crouch on the other side of the pit and watched as Dean went back to building the fire-to-be.

After a few minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. "That'll collapse under its own weight before it has a chance to get going if you keep piling it all up like that."

Dean looked at him across the haphazard pile of wood and tinder and gave Adam an incredulous look. "I suppose you can do better?"

"Well, yeah actually. You got put the dry moss and twigs on the bottom and then-…look just get out and let me do it." Adam held his beer out to his older brother.

After a moment Dean took it from him, magnanimously waving his hand at the ring of stones. "Show us what you got, boy scout."

Stifling a smile the youngest Winchester knelt down and got to work.

Twenty minutes later he was finished and looking at a pretty impressive structured wood pile. And yes, maybe it was showing off a little to light the fire using the old board, stick and moss technique but the look on Dean's face when the tinder caught and started to burn was totally worth it.

Grinning broadly, Adam stood and walked over to his brothers. He made a show of dusting his hands off before he plucked his beer out of Dean's unresisting hand.

"And that right there is how you do that."

Dean narrowed his eyes for an extended beat before suddenly throwing an arm around Adams shoulder and putting the youngest Winchester in a loose headlock, scrubbing at his hair with his knuckles.

"Watch it kid, or I'll make you ride in the back with Sam the next time we get Mexican food."

"Hey!" Sam's complained as Adam pulled himself free just in time to catch the particularly epic bitchface his brother had on.

Dean cuffed Sam round the back of the head gently as he passed to get himself a beer from the cooler. Sam looked like he was going to pout but the beer thrust into his hands seemed to forestall any pity parties.

Adam watched the whole thing with a smile on his face. It was comfortable and easy in a way he hadn't ever experienced himself. Sure, his mom had put him in as many group activities as she could, as they could afford, but even the friends he made there weren't the same as being with his brothers.

"Don't know what you're smiling about. You get to cook all that." Dean gestured to the box of meat in the open trunk of his car. Adam heard himself make an incredulous noise but Dean was quicker. "Hey…you wanted to show off your junior mountain ranger skills. Now you get to be chef as well."

Looking over at Sam, Adam knew he'd be getting no help from that quarter.

His eldest brother's smile was broad and triumphant as Adam sighed deeply and started to assemble the wire grill.

~X~

Adam was setting out some ridiculously oversized steaks on the grill when a quiet rush of air and the unmistakable wing-beats of angels approaching sounded in front of him.

Fear shot through him at the sound, freezing him in place for an instant before his rational mind took over, forcing him to relax.

The only angels that knew where they were at any given time were Gabriel and Castiel.

Lucifer was still locked in his cage with Michael.

No one was coming for him to drag him back.

He was safe.

 _He was safe._

Of course that knowledge hadn't stopped the angelic blade from appearing in his hand, willed into existence by his fight or flight instinct, which, thanks to his training under his brothers and Bobby, was becoming more inclined towards fight.

Castiel and Gabriel looked at him, one concerned, the other amused but neither of them moving until he concentrated and willed the weapon away.

"You're getting better at that, kid." Gabriel chuckled gently but made no further comment.

They didn't talk about the sword - _Michael's_ sword - that the archangel had given to Adam before he'd forced the youngest Winchester out of the cage in a burst of grace, depositing him into Gabriel and Castiel's waiting arms.

Gabriel sauntered over to Sam who smiled brightly up at the archangel as Gabriel curled himself gracefully behind the seated hunter to wrap him in his arms.

Watching as the couple re-united with a kiss and whispered words only meant for each other, Adam smiled. He liked that Sam and Gabriel weren't shy with their relationship. They had been open and honest about it from the beginning - the beginning being almost as soon as Gabriel had reappeared in their lives. Sam, freshly back from hell and unwilling to let anything he wanted get away from him again, had gone after the archangel with a will. Gabriel, for his part, had seemed unable to stop the human from burrowing under his defences.

Secretly, Adam suspected that Gabriel had been relieved when he could drop the charade and pull someone close. To make a family for himself again.

The youngest Winchester couldn't help but steal a look at the other members of this rather unusual family unit.

Castiel, as he always did, had gravitated to Dean's side. Both of them watched as their brothers lost themselves in each other for a moment. Dean rolled his eyes dramatically, glancing at Castiel and making an exasperated gesture in Sam and Gabriel's direction. The corners of Castiel's mouth lifted in one of his little half-smiles.

In any other circumstance, it would have been the perfect picture of two amused friends laughing at their sibling's antics but Adam knew better. He saw the way they looked at each other when the other wasn't looking. You'd have to be blind to miss it. Some days the frustrated tension and longing in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Shaking his head Adam went back to the…well it iused to be/i food. Now apparently it was closer to charcoal.

Cautiously he lifted the corner of one of the steaks hoping that it might only be the edges that had been cremated, but Adam wasn't that lucky. They were a complete write-off.

Dean was actually going to kill him.

He cleared his throat, "Uh guys…?" Four pairs of eyes landed on him, "The um, the steaks are…uh…" Adam tailed off.

"Oh thank god. Food. At last. Thought we were gonna starve." Dean groused, getting to his feet and gathering up plates and cutlery before starting towards the barbeque.

Adam flapped a hand over the grill. "No, that's what I was gonna say. The steaks, they're-…"

"Awesome." Gabriel cut in sharply from behind Adam. "Good job, kid. They look great."

"Wha…?" Adam twisted and looked down at…five juicy, perfectly cooked steaks sizzling away on the grill. He looked up at Gabriel who was ignoring him in favour of snagging the largest and best looking steak.

"But…" Adam tried to no avail as the archangel cut him off again.

"Yeah you're right. We need something else to go with this." Gabriel muttered before grinning broadly and holding up his hand, snapping his fingers with a flourish.

The spread on the table that appeared a small distance from the fire was enough to make even Castiel's jaw hang open. It looked ready to collapse under the weight of the breads, meats, and copious amounts of alcohol.

Dean looked pained. His pathological suspicion of all things snapped into existence was obviously fighting with the completely understandable urge to hug Gabriel to within an inch of his life for providing such a feast.

Luckily, before the internal conflict could rip Dean's flesh from his bones, Castiel put his hand on the hunters arm, breaking the spell. He smiled one of the smiles he reserved for Dean alone and nudged him towards the table.

Sam chuckled and followed his brother, taking a seat next to Gabriel who set the steak he had beaten everyone else to down in front of Sam with a shy smile that was there and gone in a second.

Gabriel picked up a wicked looking carving knife and looked pointedly between it and the suckling pig turning slowly on the spit in the centre of the table and then up at Adam.

"Adam…" the archangel said testily. "Would you get your ass over here already? This things not going to carve itself."

~X~

The amount of food they put away was pretty disgraceful. So much so that when Gabriel threatened them with dessert, even Dean made a vague moaning noise and shook his head, holding up his hands in defeat.

Adam heard Gabriel chuckle and the world shifted.

Suddenly he found himself lounging back in a sinfully plush couch. Sam caught Adams gaze from a few feet away and shrugged. He was used to this sort of thing. The middle Winchester just sighed happily, patted his stomach and stretched his legs out along the length of the couch that had materialised under him.

Of course, this being Gabriel's doing, Dean and Castiel weren't so lucky.

The couch Gabriel had given them, whilst still sumptuous, was nowhere near big enough for two grown men. This circumstance had the effect of pressing the hunter and angel together from shoulder to ankle.

Dean shuffled forward in his seat, looking about ready to jump to his feet and skin Gabriel alive until he caught sight of Castiel.

The angel appeared, not unreasonably, perplexed as to why he was suddenly wearing dark, comfortable looking jeans and one of Deans Metallica t-shirts, his hair even more rumpled than usual.

Even Adam had to admit the angel looked good. Judging by Dean's sudden silence, his older brother agreed.

"Gabriel, wh-…" Castiel started.

Gabriel shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "I always hated that suit. This is much more you." The archangel eyes sparkled with mischief, "Don't you think Dean?"

Adam watched Dean swallow hard and lick his lips, opening his mouth to speak but failing to produce any sound.

Brow creased in concern, Castiel tilted his head to one side. "Dean? These are your clothes. If it's making you uncomfortable I can get Gabriel to-…"

"No!" Dean blurted, finally finding his voice. "No. It's…it's fine, Cas. Don't worry about it. You look…it's fine. Really. Not a problem."

Castiel searched Dean's face for a second before nodding slowly and losing some of the stiffness in his shoulders, settling back into the sofa. Clearing his throat Dean followed his angels lead and relaxed back beside him.

Grinning, obviously pleased with himself, Gabriel handed everyone a glass of something golden and sweet smelling before joining Sam on their couch.

"Cheers everyone." Gabriel said happily. "Drink up."

Four pairs of suspicious eyes landed on the archangel.

"It's just a drink! You guys are way too paranoid for your own good." Gabriel protested.

Sam laughed, poking the archangel in the ribs with his toe. "Gabriel? It's you we're dealing with here. Extreme paranoia is the recommended minimum."

For a second Gabriel looked genuinely hurt. But then Sam tossed back his drink and pulled the archangel close, kissing him soundly. When they parted the smile they shared could have lit up a small town.

Adam huffed a laugh, shrugged and downed his drink.

~X~

Several hours and innumerable glasses of the unnamed but surprisingly easy to drink liquor later, Adam was feeling very mellow, limbs loose and relaxed completely for the first time since he'd left the pit.

From his vantage point, hanging upside down over the arm of his sofa he saw he wasn't the only one.

Dean and Castiel were talking quietly and Sam was smiling lazily, eyes closed with his head in Gabriel's lap as the archangel ran his fingers through the hunter's long hair. The glint in the archangels eyes when they met Adams made him suspect that whatever the sweet liquor was it didn't have the same effect on angels as it did on humans.

"Doing okay there kid?" Gabriel asked softly.

"I'm good." Adam said, smiling and nodding.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. Adam straightened up, the fog in his head lifting slightly as he did, and met the archangel's gaze steadily. He sighed a little because Gabriel wasn't asking about Adams general well-being. Adam knew that expression and exactly where this was headed.

They still hadn't spoken about Adams time in the cage.

Sam must have picked up on the serious vibe as he turned in Gabriel's lap to look at Adam. "You know it's okay to _not_ be okay, right?" he said quietly. "You can talk to us. We've all been there. Literally."

Adam winced. He knew they were going to have this conversation one day; he just didn't want it to be today. "I know guys. I do. I just…can we not? Not tonight, okay?"

Sam looked like he wanted to push it but Gabriel put a hand on Sams chest to quiet him.

The archangels gaze turned golden and heavy, questioning, asking permission. The youngest Winchester braced himself and nodded.

The soul-walking thing was still odd. He was getting used to it though. Gabriel had a protective streak a mile long and Adam indulged him because he literally owed the archangel and Castiel his life. That sort of thing earned you a lot of trust in Adams book, so if Gabriel felt the need to do a little angelic inspection of Adams soul to make sure he wasn't falling apart inside then Adam could deal.

Gabriel's brow creased as he examined the worst of the damage. Adam had given up trying to hide it. It was part of him. He had to live with it and he was. The others knew that and let it be for the most part.

Whatever he saw inside Adam, Gabriel finally nodded, smiling reassuringly and strangely enough Adam really did feel reassured.

Then again, he thought, it could be the booze talking. The glass in Adams hand was suddenly full again and Adam took a long grateful drink.

Sam looked between Gabriel and Adam and relaxed, closing his eyes and humming quietly as Gabriel returned to his previous occupation.

"You two look cosy." Adam murmured, amused.

"Not the only ones…" Gabriel raised his chin in Dean and Castiel's direction.

Evidently the stuff they'd been drinking _did_ work on angels. Castiel was fluid and loose in a way he never was usually, body twisted towards his human as they spoke in hushed tones. Dean had shifted too, throwing one arm over the back of the couch and mirroring the angel's position.

If Adam had been completely sober he would have looked away, given them their privacy, but he wasn't and he didn't so he got to see everything that happened next.

Dean said something, smiling crookedly at the angel who laughed and replied, a fully-fledged smile blossoming on Castiel's face, blue eyes sparkling. Adam didn't hear what the angel said but for a second Dean looked as though he'd forgotten how to breathe.

It didn't last long though. Dean was a man of action after all. The hand that had been resting on the couch wound its way around the back of Castiel's neck, threading through the hair there as Dean closed the distance between them, brushing his lips against the angels in a gentle, chaste kiss.

Adam watched as Dean pulled back. He could practically hear the apology forming in Dean's throat. Evidently Castiel could too because the angel's eyes went wide for a second before he fisted a hand in Dean's shirt and pulled the hunter back towards him.

There was nothing chaste about the kiss Castiel laid on Dean.

Of course the moment was thoroughly ruined by Gabriel and Sams whooping cheers.

"Finally!" Sam yelled, hurling another pillow at the, yeah, the _couple_ on the other couch. "God damn, Dean, way to get a clue!"

The look on Dean and Castiel's faces was priceless, both of them blushing and jumping apart as far as possible on the tiny sofa. Dean rallied quickest, aiming a return volley of pillows at his laughing brother.

Sam took a pillow to the face which shut him up and Dean grinned triumphantly, nodding and dusting off his hands.

"Told you, Sammy." Gabriel said, relaxing back into the corner of the couch. "All they needed was a little time and patience." Gabriel looked smug, like he had somehow planned this whole thing. Adam pondered that for a moment because with Gabriel you really never could tell, but Sam wasn't convinced if the derisive snort he let out was anything to go by.

"You wanted to lock them in an angel proof room with a ton of gay porn playing twenty four seven til they got the hint." Sam teased.

"Hey, that would have worked!" Gabriel protested.

"On you maybe," Castiel chimed in smoothly. "Not all of us have your impulse control issues."

Gabriel made a disgusted noise. "Says the angel whos hand is wandering up poor, objectified Dean's thigh as we speak."

Castiel looked at his hand resting on Dean's leg and shrugged. "Dean doesn't appear to have a problem with being objectified so I suggest you 'deal with it', Gabriel."

The look of shock on Gabriel's face made Adam laugh so hard he spilled his drink everywhere. He wiped at it absently as the bickering kicked up a notch. Sure there was cleaning up to do, a fire to douse and a journey to make, but that was hours away.

For now Adam relaxed and laughed as the playful banter flowed effortlessly back and forward between his family.

Fin.


End file.
